Saving the World

Frisk's POV

"So you're back," Asgore sighed, still not turning to glance at them. "And… you brought another…" He paused. "Well… are you ready?"

"We're ready," Frisk sighed, gripping the dagger. Asgore let out a deep sigh. The seven glass containers emerged from the ground as he turned around to glanced at Kat and Frisk. Their souls appeared in front of them. "Humans… It was nice to meet you. Goodbye." Asgore hung his head low. Before he could attack, something smashed into his side, sending him flying against the wall with a gasp. Another figure approached to stand in front of them. Frisk's eyes widened.

"What a miserable creature, torturing such poor, innocent youths…"

"Toriel!" Kat and Frisk rushed toward her. Toriel kneeled down to pull them into her arms. "You came to help!"

"Oh my children, I thought I would let you make your journey alone... But we could not stop worrying about you. Your adventure must have been so treacherous... and ultimately, it would burden you with a horrible choice. To leave this place, you would have to take the life of another person. You would have to defeat ASGORE. However... I realized... I cannot allow that. It is not right to sacrifice someone simply to let someone leave here. Is that not what I have been trying to prevent this whole time? So, for now, let us suspend this battle. As terrible as ASGORE is... He deserves mercy, too."

"Yeah," Kat replied with a nod.

A small head poked out from behind Toriel. "Um… hi…"

"Ace!" Frisk cried, throwing their arms around him. He's okay! "Oh my god! Oh my god!" Ace hugged back. Kat joined the hug too, humming contentedly.

"Where are the others?" Ace murmured, pulling out of the hug.

"They're with Alphys in the lab," Kat replied, turning to Frisk. "They're okay," She added with a nod. Frisk looked back at Toriel and Asgore, who had been talking the whole time.

"Tori... You're right…" Asgore sobbed. "I am a miserable creature ... but, do you think we can at least be friends again?"

Toriel let out a sigh. "No, Asgore." Tears poured from Asgore's eyes. Another figure lunged between Asgore and Frisk. Undyne!

"Ngahhhhhh! ASGORE! Humans! Nobody fight each other! Everyone's gonna make friends, or else I'll...!" Undyne glanced at Toriel, her eye widening. "I'll…"

"Hello. I am Toriel," Toriel greeted, waving at Undyne. "Are you the humans' friend? It is nice to meet you."

"Uh, yeah...? Nice to meet you!" Undyne slunk toward Asgore. "Hey Asgore, is that your ex? Jeez. That's rough, buddy." Alphys entered the fray, five figures trailing after her.

"H-hey! Nobody fight each other!" Alphys froze before glancing at Toriel and Undyne.

"Oh, are you another friend?" Toriel asked. "I am Toriel, hello!"

"Uh… h-h-hi…" Alphys gazed at the ground as she rushed to Undyne's side.

"Ace?!" Ray exclaimed, his eyes widening. The group rushed toward Ace, their greetings and shocked gasps blended together. Papyrus appeared next.

"HEY! NOBODY FIGHT ANYONE!" he exclaimed. "IF ANYONE FIGHTS ANYONE...! THEN I'LL…! BE FORCED…! TO ASK UNDYNE FOR HELP!"

"Hello," Toriel greeted with a wave.

"OH! HELLO YOUR MAJESTY!" Papyrus turned to Frisk, leaning into whisper, "PSST! HEY, HUMAN... DID ASGORE SHAVE...? AND... CLONE HIMSELF?" Frisk giggled into their hand.

Sans entered. "Hey guys... what's up?"

Toriel's eyes widened. "That voice...!" Toriel rushed to stand beside Sans. "Hello. I think we may... Know each other?"

"Oh hey…" Sans greeted. "I recognize your voice, too."

"I am Toriel. So nice to meet you."

"The name's Sans," he greeted with a wink. "And, uh, same."

"Oh! Wait then..." Toriel pointed at Papyrus. "This must be your brother, Papyrus! Greetings, Papyrus! It is so nice to finally meet you! Your brother has told me so much about you."

"WOWIE... I CAN'T BELIEVE ASGORE'S CLONE KNOWS WHO I AM! THIS IS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!"

"Hey, Papyrus…" Toriel rested her finger on her chin. "What does a skeleton tile his roof with?"

"HMMM... SNOW-PROOF ROOF TILES?"

"No, silly! A skeleton tiles his roof with... SHIN-gles!" Toriel giggled into her paw. Frisk and Sans chuckled to themselves, while Papyrus's eyes widened.

"I CHANGED MY MIND! THIS IS THE WORST DAY OF MY LIFE!" he exclaimed.

"Come on, ASGORE!" Frisk glanced back at Undyne, who was consoling a crying Asgore. "It's gonna be okay! There are plenty of fish in the sea…"

"Y-yeah, ASGORE!" Alphys cut in. "Undyne's totally right about that fish thing! S-sometimes you've just got to, uh... Stop going after furry boss monsters and, uh... J-just get to know a really cute fish...?" Alphys's eyes widened as Undyne glanced at her, raising an eyebrow. "...It's a metaphor."

"Well. I think it's a good analogy." Another figure appeared beside them.

"OH MY GOD!" Mettaton exclaimed, sticking his leg out for no reason. "WILL YOU TWO JUST SMOOCH ALREADY?! THE AUDIENCE IS DYING FOR SOME ROMANTIC ACTION!"

"HEY, SHUT UP!" Undyne snapped as Mettaton disappeared. She looked back at Alphys. "Man, the nerve of that guy! Right, Alphys?!..." Alphys didn't respond, her cheeks turning bright red. "Uh, Alphys?"

"...No. He's right. LET'S DO IT!" Alphys exclaimed, grabbing Undyne's hands. Undyne glanced at Asgore, her eye wide.

"Well…" Undyne looked back at Alphys. "Uh… I guess? If you want to? Then… don't hold anything back!" Undyne's cheeks turned pink as they leaned closer and closer. Toriel lunged between them.

"Wait!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide. "Not in front of the humans." Frisk frowned. Come on, what's wrong with watching a kiss?! They do it all the time in Disney movies!

"Uh, right! S-sorry, I got a little carried away there," Alphys and Undyne were both gazing at the ground, blushing hard. Toriel giggled into her paw. Sans went to stand beside her, followed by Ace, Kat, and Papyrus. Frisk stayed in place. They gazed at all their friends standing together, human and monster.

"My children, it seems as if you must stay here for a while, but looking at all the great friends you have made... I think... I think you will be happy here." Frisk smiled. Yeah… I can be.

Alphys glanced at Papyrus. "H-hey, that reminds me. Papyrus... YOU called everyone here, right? Well, besides, uh, her." Alphys pointed at Toriel. "Uh, anyway... If I got here before you... How did you know how to call everybody?"

Papyrus smirked. "LET'S JUST SAY... A TINY FLOWER HELPED ME." Frisk's heart skipped a beat.

Alphys's jaw dropped. "A tiny… flower?!" Before they knew it, a vine shot through Frisk's friends, wrapping around them like snakes. Frisk lunged toward them, eyes wide. Something slammed into their lower jaw, knocking them through the air, before they scraped against the ground like a piece of chalk. They forced themself to their feet. Vines immediately wrapped around Frisk, holding them in place. In front of them, their friends struggled in the vines, kicking and squirming as their screams cracked the air. Flowey's smiling face appeared from the ground.

"You IDIOT!" he exclaimed. "Bringing every human soul in the Underground to one convenient place for me! Now all of your FRIENDS' SOULS are gonna be mine! And you know what the best part is? It's all your fault. It's all because you MADE THEM love you. All the time you spent listening to them... Encouraging them... Caring about them... Without that, they wouldn't have come here. And now, with all their souls together... I will achieve my REAL FORM." Frisk squirmed around, glaring daggers at Flowey as he giggled. Stop it! It's not my fault they came! It's not!...

"What is this guy's deal?" Chara grunted.

"Why are you still doing this?!" Frisk snapped, their heart blazing with hatred.

Flowey giggled more. "Don't you get it? This is all just a GAME. If you leave the underground satisfied, you'll 'win' the game. If you 'win,' you won't want to 'play' with me anymore, and what would I do then? But this game between us will NEVER end. I'll hold victory in front of you, just within your reach... And then tear it away just before you grasp it." Flowey's expression molded into one that probably should've scared Frisk. However, only anger burned within them. "Over, and over, and over… Listen. If you DO defeat me, I'll give you your 'happy ending.' I'll bring your friends back. I'll destroy the barrier. Everyone will finally be satisfied. But that WON'T happen. You...! I'll keep you here no matter what!" Bullets appeared all around Frisk. "EVEN IF IT MEANS KILLING YOU A MILLION TIMES!" Flowey cackled as the bullets slammed into Frisk at every angle. Frisk let out grunts of pain. Bloods dripped down their body as the bullets continued to come. Even squirming became draining. Finally, one more circle of bullets closed in around Frisk. Before they could hit, a circle of fire appeared around Frisk, repelling the bullets. Frisk let out a gasp.

"What?" Flowey's eyes narrowed.

"Do not be afraid my child…" Toriel strained her eyes open as she spoke. "No matter what happens… We will always be there to protect you!"

"Yeah!" Kat added, her eyes popping open as she struggled. "We believe in you, Frisk! We'll always be there to support you!"

"Like you've always been for us!" Poppy added. Lines of bullets came from each side of Frisk however they were each repelled, one by a bone and the other by a spear.

"THAT'S RIGHT, HUMAN! YOU CAN WIN!" Papyrus exclaimed, his eyes narrowing. "JUST DO WHAT I WOULD DO... BELIEVE IN YOU!"

"Hey!" Undyne smiled brightly even as she struggled in place. "Human! If you got past ME, you can do ANYTHING! So don't worry! We're with you all the way!"

"Huh? You haven't beaten this guy yet?" Sans asked, the colour returning to his eyes. "Come on, this weirdo's got nothing on you!"

"Yeah!" Teri added, smiling as brightly as Undyne was, "You've overcome every other challenge so far! What makes this any different?"

"You can't let this sicko win!" Clover butted in. "And we know you won't!" More bullets came, but they were blocked by fireballs and tiny thunderbolts.

"Technically, it's impossible for you to beat him…" Alphys's eyes narrowed. "B-but... Somehow, I know you can do it!"

"We all know you can!" Ace added.

"Human," Asgore's voice was soft but firm. "For the future of humans and monsters...! You have to stay determined…!" To the right, a line of monsters appeared, shouting their encouragement to Frisk. Flowey backed away from them. Another line of monsters appeared to the left, driving Flowey to the centre of everyone. Countless monsters, seemingly the entire Underground, filled the room, shouting their encouragement to Frisk. Their eyes watered as their strength returned. Yes! I can beat him! All I have to do is believe!

"Yeah you can," Chara replied.

Flowey let out a grunt, his eyes wide with distress. "NO! Unbelievable! This can't be happening! You... You…" Out of nowhere, he grinned petal to petal. "I can't believe you're all so STUPID." Bright light flooded the room as the floor trembled beneath them. "ALL OF YOUR SOULS ARE MINE!"

"NO!" Frisk shielded their eyes with their arm. When the brightness faded, they forced their eyes open. Flowey was nowhere to be seen A small shape replaced him, with floppy white ears and a striped shirt.

"No…"

"Finally," the new figure muttered. Frisk's eyes widened as they recognized the voice in the tapes. "I was so tired of being a flower." The figure turned around, revealing a bright expression, more white fur, and a small muzzle.

"A-Asriel…?" Chara gasped.

"Howdy! Chara, are you there? It's me, your best friend." Asriel disappeared and reappeared, much taller and floating off the ground. Frisk's soul appeared before them. What do I do?!

"Asriel has every soul in the Underground, including your human friends'," Chara informed, flatly. "At this point, I think all you can do is hope and dream." Frisk held on to their hopes, glaring at Asriel. Fireballs rained down on them. Frisk leaped side to side, slipping past the fireballs as they lit up the dark ground beneath them. They held up their stick. The flames disappeared, drowning them in darkness before a blue light filled the room. Asriel floated higher and higher into the air, a rainbow trailed after him. The ground beneath Frisk disappeared. They gasped, flailing around as stars rained down from the ceiling.

"You know… I don't care about destroying the world anymore," Asriel admitted, shooting more stars at Frisk. They weaved through them, some of them scraping against their skin. "After I defeat you and gain total control over the timeline... I just want to reset everything." Frisk was dragged in front of the floating Asriel. The stars stopped. Next came lighting bolts, striking the ground below. Frisk flailed around in the air. One of the bolts shot through them, forcing their limbs to jerk around in every direction as pain surged through them. Two swords appeared in Asriel's hands. He swung at Frisk. They struggled to dodge left and right until the sword sliced through them. Blood sprayed through the air. Frisk's vision began to blur as their soul floated away. Their eyes narrowed. No! This isn't where it ends! I will get my happy ending! I will get ALL of them back and free everyone! As they held onto their hopes and dreams, Frisk straightened up, the blood fading. They glared at Asriel, their entire body tense.

"All your progress…" Asriel continued his monologue. "Everyone's memories. I'll bring them all back to zero!" He continued to swing his swords around. Frisk drifted side to side, ducking and dodging through the air as if they were underwater. Their friends consumed all their thoughts. The screams echoed in their ears as the images of them trapped in Flowey's vines seared into their mind. Frisk struggled to push the thoughts away. They thought instead about the surface, their monster friends seeing the surface for the first time and their human friends returning to their families. Something surged through Frisk, making them tense as they glared at Asriel.

"Then we can do everything ALL over again." Frisk slipped side to side as lighting struck all around them. "And then you'll lose to me again. And again. And again!" Asriel summoned a blaster, shooting three lines of bullets Frisk. Then four. Then three. Frisk flung themself left and right. The shots came more and more frequently until the gun stopped to vibrate. A beam shot from it. Frisk threw themself aside, gripping their pounding heart. "Because you want a 'happy ending.' Because you 'love your friends.' Because you 'never give up.'"

"You're wrong!" Frisk spat, floating side by side to avoid the swords. "I'll never reset! And I'm not giving up either."

"Isn't that delicious?" Asriel asked, seemingly ignoring Frisk. "Your "determination." The power that let you get this far... It's gonna be your downfall! Whether you think so or not!" A line of lightning bolts came next. Frisk forced their way through the first, then the others cracked behind them.

"Now, ENOUGH messing around!" Asriel snapped, his eyes narrowed at Frisk. "It's time to purge this timeline once and for all!" Asriel disappeared as darkness consumed the entire room. A figure appeared before Frisk. It was a giant version of Asriel's head, which cackled before it began pulling Frisk toward it. Frisk struggled to push away. Diamonds flew toward them, scraping Frisk as they were pulled into the attack. Bright light flooded the room. When it cleared, Asriel appeared again, his eyes wide. Frisk glared at them. Their body was coated in blood, their skin stinging with bruises.

"Even after that attack, you're still standing in my way...?" Asriel chuckled. "Wow... you really ARE something special, but don't get cocky. Up until now, I've only been using a fraction of my REAL power!" Frisk's eyes widened. "Let's see what good your determination is against THIS!" Light flooded the room as Asrel's body began to expand. Frisk shielded their eyes. Something wrapped around their body, smooshing their arms against their sides. Faint light dripped into the room, revealing Asriel. He now had wings, longer horns, and towered over Frisk like a skyscraper. Frisk struggled. However, Asriel's hand forced them in place.

He chuckled. "Behold my TRUE power!" Comets shot down toward Frisk. One slammed right into their head, knocking out their vision for a moment. However, Frisk forced their eyes open, their heart blazing. They struggled again.

"That isn't working," Chara grunted. Well, do you have a better idea?!

"I can feel it... Every time you die, your grip on this world slips away. Every time you die, your friends forget you a little more." Frisk's eyes widened. No! "Your life will end here, in a world where no one remembers you..." More comets shot toward Frisk, forcing them to move their head side to side to avoid them. I can't let them forget! Frisk continued to struggle, letting out grunts. "Still you're hanging on...? That's fine. In a few moments, you'll forget everything, too. That attitude will serve you well in your next life." Never! More comets shot at them. Frisk continued to dodge, and continued to struggle. Asriel chuckled. "Still!? Come on... Show me what good your determination is now!" Frisk struggled. Their vision went dark. They kicked and squirmed within Asriel's hand, but nothing happened. They grunted, trying to envision a save point. Nothing happened. They tried again to save, but still nothing happened.

"Seems saving the 'game' is impossible," Chara remarked. "But… Maybe, with what little power you have... You can save something else." Frisk's eyes popped open. Focusing hard, they felt something resonating within the stolen souls. My friends! They have to be in there somewhere! Frisk focused hard, their body tensing as they called out to the first person they thought of. Moments later, Asriel's grip disappeared. Frisk's eyes popped open. Their body was was much dimmer, almost ghost-like. Frisk looked up. Kat stood before them, her face obscured, in a pitch black room.

"Kat!" Frisk gasped, rushing toward her. Kat took a step back. "Kat?"

"She doesn't remember you," Chara grunted. Frisk glanced back at Kat. Then I have to make her remember.

"Kat it's me." Frisk rested their hands on their chest. "Your friend… your… your cooking buddy." Frisk took Kat's frying pan, gently moving it back and forth as if moving something around in it. "Remember? We always make hash browns and grilled cheese together?" Frisk stared at her obscured face. Her blank gaze shifted between Frisk and the frying pan before her hand wrapped around the handle. The two moved the pan back and forth, swinging it up occasionally. Kat grunted to herself. Letting out a sigh, Frisk wrapped their arms around Kat. She let out a gasp.

"F-Frisk?" Frisk glanced up at Kat. Her face had reappeared, with wide eyes and a bright smile.

"Kat!" Frisk exclaimed, leaning back into the hug. "You're back!"

"Uh, yeah… Thanks!" Kat returned the hug with a smile. Frisk reached out their soul to the next person that came to mind. Then she appeared. Undyne stood before Frisk, her face also concealed. She pointed her spear at Frisk. Their soul turned green, and a spear appeared in their right hand. Frisk tapped Undyne's side with the stick. She twitched.

"All humans will die!" she exclaimed, lifting her hand to summon some spears. Frisk blocked each one effortlessly.

"H-hey Undyne. Will you… teach me how to cook?" Frisk asked, clasping their hands together.

Undyen froze. "W-well I…" She shook her head. "N-no. You're our real enemy!" Frisk blocked every spear that was thrown at them as they stepped closer to Undyne. They smiled brightly, like Undyne used to. Undyne took a step back, her spears flopping to the ground as she began to convulse in place. Her face reappeared with a huge smile.

"Well, some humans are okay, I guess!" Frisk smiled for real before reaching out to the next person. Alphys appeared in front of them, wearing the same polka dot dress she wore on their date.

"Alphys, what's your favourite cartoon?" Frisk asked. Alphys could barely hold back from giving a huge answer that Frisk could barely catch. Then she stopped, her head hanging low.

"You hate me, don't you...?" she muttered, shaking. "I-I've got to keep lying."

"No, you don't," Frisk insisted, stepping closer. "You can tell the truth. And we'll continue to support you no matter what."

Alphys's face reappeared. "You're right! My friends like me! And I like you, too!" Poppy and Teri were next, who appeared side by side, their faces obscured as well. Poppy growled, raising her notebook to attack. Frisk blocked it with their stick.

"Yes, I should be afraid of her," Chara muttered.

"Get out of my way!" Poppy exclaimed, shoving the notebook against Frisk's stick. Frisk knocked the notebook aside. Grabbing Poppy's hands, Frisk held her in place even as she pushed against them.

"Stop it, Poppy," Frisk insisted, standing their ground. "This isn't you! You're a good friend, and a good friend were never try to hurt their friends." Poppy froze before letting go of Frisk. She stepped back. Frisk cast a quick glance at her notebook before rushing to pick it up. They flipped to a random page.

"I started today by wandering through the Core with the others until we split up," Frisk squinted at the page as they read it out. "I went with Frisk and Teri and we managed to get to the end, after dealing with several monsters of course, and Mettaton appeared. He revealed that everything with him in Hotland was a setup that Alphys was in on so we would like her more! I should probably be more upset than I am but really I'm just concerned. That sounds more desperate than malicious to me. Teri however was really upset and still is. I'm not sure how Frisk feels but they're probably upset too. Anyways, Mettaton locked us in the room and Alphys called us and told us to flip the switch on his back. So I tricked him into turning around so I could flip the switch. I thought it would turn him off but it turned him on instead. He changed into a much more human-like robot with black hair and pink heels. I was confused but Teri was practically drooling at the sight of him. Teri, Frisk, and I all had to dance our way through the fight, which was probably the most fun I've had on this adventure." Frisk glanced up. Poppy and Teri, who had been standing aside, had approached Frisk, shaking in place like volcanoes about to erupt.

"My… writing..." Poppy muttered to herself. "My… friends…" Frisk stepped closer to Teri, humming the music they heard during Mettaton's battle. Finally, Teri and Poppy's faces reappeared.

"Frisk! They exclaimed.

Poppy grabbed her notebook back. "My friend," she added, a small smile appearing on her lips. Frisk nodded to her. Closing their eyes, they reached out to Sans and Papyrus next. The two brothers appeared side by side. Frisk's soul flopped into their arms, weighing them down like a dumbbell. Frisk glanced at it. Their soul had turned dark blue.

"I MUST CAPTURE A HUMAN!" Papyrus exclaimed, summoning some bones.

"Just give up, I did," Sans muttered. Frisk jumped over and through the bones, holding their soul against their chest. They stopped to glance at Sans.

"You know, I don't find this attacking thing very… humerus." Sans chuckled. Papyrus beside him cringed. "Oh, sorry for my sins," Frisk replied with a shrug. "I promise I'll think long and hard about them." Sans nodded solemnly.

"Why even try though?" he muttered to himself.

"THEN EVERYONE WILL!" Papyrus exclaimed. Frisk lunged through more lines of bones. What's something else they'll remember?

"You could flirt with Papyrus?" Chara suggested. Frisk cringed, causing one of the bones to scrape their stomach as they landed. "Okay, let's not go back to that, actually… Well… Papyrus likes… puzzles?" Frisk perked up.

"Hey, can you guys help me with a puzzle?" Frisk asked, landing behind a tall bone. The bones disappeared. Sans and Papyrus shook in place before their faces reappeared.

"NO! WAIT! YOU'RE MY FRIEND! I COULD NEVER CAPTURE YOU!" Papyrus gasped, his bright smile returning.

"I'm rootin' for ya, kid," Sans replied with a nod. Frisk nodded back before reaching out to Clover and Ray. They appeared in front of them. Clover stood in place, twirling his toy gun around in his fingers. Ray yowled, punching his gloves together.

"Intruder!" he exclaimed, as Frisk caught his punches in their hands. "Who are you?!" Frisk gazed at Ray's concealed face. Smirking, they pinched Ray's stomach before leaping away. Ray stood in place. "W-why do I feel like you've done that before?" he asked, rubbing the spot Frisk pinched. "Multiple times?"

"Good question," Clover added, ambling toward Frisk.

Frisk grinned. "Hey, guys," they paused to chuckle. "Remember when we got… Snowed in?" Ray burst out laughing while Clover let out a grunt. Frisk glanced at Clover. Should I try speaking Spanish to him?

"If you want him to hit you for butchering his native language," Chara grunted. It's not technically his native language but yeah, you're probably right. Frisk nudged Ray and Clover.

"Race ya!" they called, sprinting off. Footsteps echoed behind Frisk. They skidded across the ground, making a sharp turn as Ray and Clover trailed after them.

"No fair!" Ray called, stomping hard against the ground. Frisk giggled. They skidded to a halt as Clover and Ray stopped behind them. Their faces had reappeared.

"How did you know that would work?" Chara asked. We race to school and in P.E all the time. Frisk thought over everyone, finally landing on the three they hadn't seen yet: Toriel, Asgore, and Ace. Like magic, they appeared in front of them. Toriel and Asgore stood side by side while Ace ducked behind Toriel. Frisk pulled out their slice of pie. They allowed the three to see what it was before eating it. They began twitching.

"This is for your own good," Toriel sighed, summoning fire from her paws.

"Forgive me for this," Asgore sighed, doing the same as Toriel. Frisk leaped back and forth, making the fire pass by them.

"I won't fight back," Frisk grunted, crossing their arms.

"This is my duty," Asgore sighed.

"No one will leave again," Toriel insisted, summoning more flames. Frisk slipped through the rings of fire as they closed around them. They lunged at Toriel, wrapping their arms around her. Her and Asgore's faces appeared.

"Your fate is up to you now!" Toriel exclaimed.

"You are our future," Asgore added. Frisk cast a glance at Ace, whose face was still concealed. They approached him slowly. Kneeling down, Frisk pulled Ace into a hug.

"I'll never let anyone hurt you, again," Frisk murmured. Ace's face reappeared.

"I know," he whispered back, returning the hug. Finally, with no one else to save, Frisk reappeared in Asriel's giant hand. Their friends' souls resonated within Asriel. However, Frisk sensed something else resonating within him, getting stronger and stronger. Had they missed someone? However, they didn't recognize it, despite knowing it was someone calling out to be saved. It pricked Frisk's heart like a thorn. Who is it? They glanced up at Asriel, their eyes widening.

"Together..." Chara murmured. "We have to do this together…" Frisk nodded. Closing their eyes, their soul reached out to Asriel. However, there was something else with them as they did. A presence.

"Huh? What are you doing?!" Asriel demanded. Frisk's eyes popped open. There was a shape in front of Asriel, growing less and less dim. It was a human, or a ghost at least. Something flashed within Asriel. Frisk closed their eyes and concentrated hard on the soul. Images flashed before them. They went by too quick, but Frisk could see the same human in all of them. The same one they just saw. Chara. Asriel's grip disappeared, making Frisk slam into the ground. They let out a gasp. The images disappeared, and they were snapped back into the present moment. Asriel floated high above them. His eyes were closed and teeth clenched as sobs broke the air.

"Wh… what did you do?" Asriel demanded, his eyes snapping open. "What's this feeling...? What's happening to me?" Asriel's eyes narrowed at Frisk. "No! NO! I don't need ANYONE!" Asriel extended his hands. Comets shot down at Frisk from every angle, almost impossible to avoid. When they stopped, Frisk reached out again. "STOP IT! Get away from me!" Sobs pierced Asriel's voice. "Do you hear me?! I'll tear you apart!" A significantly less large amount of comets charged at Frisk, which they dodged easily. Asriel stopped with a sigh. "Chara… Do you know why I'm doing this? Why I keep fighting to keep you around...?"

"No," Frisk replied, shaking their head.

"I'm doing this… because you're special, Chara." Asriel forced a toothy smile. "You're the only one that understands me. You're the only one who's any fun to play with anymore." Frisk raised an eyebrow. Asriel's gaze faltered as he sank closer to the ground. "...No... That's not JUST it. I... I... I'm doing this because I care about you, Chara! I care about you more than anybody else! I'm not ready for this to end. I'm not ready for you to leave. I'm not ready to say goodbye to someone like you again…"

"So please…." his voice shook. "STOP doing this! AND JUST LET ME WIN!" Asriel extended his hands. He pointed them at Frisk, shooting a beam at them that filled the entire room. Frisk grunted, standing in place. Their soul shook in front of them but it refused to break. "STOP IT!" Frisk's eyes narrowed. "STOP IT NOW!" Asriel fell to the ground on his hands, making the beam stop. His breathing was ragged. "Chara," he sobbed, his head hung low to the ground. "I'm so alone, Chara. I'm so afraid, Chara. Chara, I… I…" Asriel paused to whimper. Darkness drowned them like a wave.

Sobbing echoed through the room. Asriel, now the size of a child, stood before them, crying into his arm.

"Go to him," Chara murmured. Frisk glanced to see the faint figure of a human standing beside them. They had brown hair, brown eyes, and wore a striped shirt. They looked quite similar to them, the main difference being their lighter skin and taller figure. Frisk nodded to Chara. They made their way toward Asriel, one hand in front of them.

"I'm sorry," Asriel sobbed. "I'm so sorry." He sniffed before wiping his face and meeting Frisk's gaze. "I always was a crybaby, wasn't I, Chara?"

"I'm... not Chara," Frisk replied, taking a step closer.

"I know…" Asriel let out a sigh. "Chara's been gone for a long time. Um… what… what IS your name?"

"It's Frisk."

"That's…" Asriel forced a smile. "A nice name." He paused, his smile fading. "Frisk… I haven't felt like this for a very long time. As a flower, I was soulless. I lacked the power to love other people… However, with everyone's souls inside me… I not only have my own compassion back…"

"But every other monsters' too..." Frisk's eyes widened. "And my friends… They must care about each other so much."

"And they care about you too, Frisk," Asriel insisted, taking a step closer. "I wish I could tell you how everyone feels about you. Your human friends, Sans, Papyrus, Undyne, Alphys… Toriel." Asriel��s voice shook at that last name. "Monsters are weird… Even though they barely know you, it feels like they all really love you." Asriel laughed dryly. "...Frisk, I understand if you can't forgive me," he sighed, his gaze fixed on the ground. "I understand if you hate me. I acted so strange and horrible." Asriel met Frisk's gaze, revealing that his eyes were watering. "I hurt you. I hurt so many people. Friends, family, bystanders… There's no excuse for what I've done."

"I know…" Frisk rested their hand on Asriel's shoulder. "But I still forgive you."

"Wh...what?" Asriel raised an eyebrow. He took a step back, pushing Frisk's hand away. "Frisk, come on. You're… you're gonna make me cry again." He rested his paw on his chest. "Besides, even if you do forgive me, I can't keep these souls inside me. The least I can do is return them. But first…" Asriel's eyes narrowed. "There's something I have to do. Right now, I can feel everyone's hearts beating as one. They're all burning with the same desire. Wth everyone's power… with everyone's determination… It's time for monsters to finally go free." Asriel closed his eyes and stretched his arms out to his sides. He floated into the air as the souls rotated all around him, the human souls standing out against the white monster souls. More and more appeared. Asriel fired them all at the barrier behind them. A crack appeared. Then it split in half, falling to the ground with a crackling sound. The souls disappeared. Asriel floated back onto the ground, his head now hung low.

"Frisk, I have to go now."

"No, you don't!" Frisk exclaimed, stepping toward him. "Stay with us."

"I can't go back with them. I'll just break their hearts all over again!"

"They'll forgive you!"

"That's not the problem." Asriel let out a sigh. "Frisk, without the power of everyone's souls, I can't keep maintaining this form. In a little while, I'll turn back into a flower. I'll stop being 'myself." I'll stop being able to feel love again. So Frisk, please just forget about me, okay? Just go be with the people who love you." Frisk wrapped their arms around Asriel. He froze before turning the gesture, resting his chin on Frisk's shoulder. Frisk rubbed Asriel's shoulder. Tears poured down their face as sobs broke the air.

"I… I don't want to let go." Their voices mixed together. Asriel lowered his arms. Frisk did the same, taking a step back. Asriel forced a smile.

"Frisk… You're… You're going to do a great job, okay? No matter what you do. Everyone will be there for you, okay?" Asriel turned away. "Well… My time's running out. Goodbye." Asriel walked off before turning around again. "Oh… By the way, Frisk… Take care of Mom and Dad for me, okay?"

Frisk's eyes widened. "I-I will," they replied with a nod. Asriel nodded back before walking away as the world purged into darkness once more.